Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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717. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if financial assistance can be provided to farmers for the purchase of backup generators and water pumps, given the increasing need for resilience against power outages; whether a scheme similar to the fodder support scheme could be introduced to support these purchases; and if not, whether generators and water pumps could be added to the TAMS 2 scheme, recognising that while solar panels are included, they are ineffective during power outages. [7979/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) already provides support to any farmer to purchase both water pumps and backup generators. Grant aid is also available under TAMS 3 for stand alone solar water pumps and solar fencing which operate off-grid, allowing their operation during power outages.

I am actively examining the extent to which other existing investment items that are eligible for support under TAMS 3 may be suitable in the context of the response to Storm Éowyn. I am also considering whether there may be other suitable investment items that may be included in TAMS 3 over the longer term, although this will in turn be dependent on the availability of the required funding.